Xpand as a Standalone Plugin

As soon as someone cracks the code on upgrading internal Storage and replacing RAM on MPC X, Live, One, I think it may be possible.
If ya don't know, there's a MPC hacking group on Facebook, They go little too deep sometimes but have already figured out internal storage upgrades. Im in it for that sweet RAM upgrade, ill do that immediately.

Side note, I have a feeling AKAI will soon realize what we want and "refresh" the entire lineup with more RAM and storage.

Standalone all day!

I believe the chip in the X/Live/One is a SOC.... thos would mean that the RAM is layered on top of the CPU, and nearly impossible to remove or replace with current tech...

It is possible that folks on facebook are just hacking at the linux kernel to let it use a swap drive... essentially using sd/usb/ssd as RAM... but I do not know that I would trust that as it would be untested and hard to predict how the MPC Software would respond in standalone mode.

Disk streaming is far better than bigger ram.
It's up to Akai
As for Xpand! ,it's very low quality plugin , nice for sketching ,but not better by a cheap rompler keyboard

Well, we got the AIR Creative FX Collection Suite! And Hype has got to be HUGE since we downloaded 1.2 GB or however much Synth content for all the presets of the 4 new synths to work so I still think there's hope for Xpand! as a plugin in Standalone mode. MPC-Tutor has a lot of doubt but there is actually another thread on this forum that leaked 4 of the plugins we got before they were released in firmware updates. I actually submitted a request to Akai to add Xpand as a plugin I'm Standalone mode. I have a strong feeling they will need it if they want to release this new touch screen keyboard hybrid workstation they leaked lol

SakisX wrote:Disk streaming is far better than bigger ram.
It's up to Akai
As for Xpand! ,it's very low quality plugin , nice for sketching ,but not better by a cheap rompler keyboard

Xpand in its current state is not better than a cheap Casio keyboard, you are correct. But Hype! Solina, MelloTron, TubeSynth, Velvet and Odyssey are actually quite modern and sound comparable to modern VSTs (Nexus, DS Thorn, Spire) and Tubesynth is actually an optimized version of Vaccum Pro (with built in Reverb added). It is very likely that when Xpand is converted to the MPC Firmware the presets will be modernized and optimized.

My main reason for the addition of Xpand as a plugin in standalone mode is to avoid using keygroups and also for the variety of sounds. Right now, even though I have 40+Expansions and many additional Keygoups I still feel limited sonically. The new plugins are a great addition (Especially Hype) but there are certain sounds in Xpand that I find myself missing in standalone mode. Trying to auto-sample my favorite patches would be too cumbersome because the joy of using plugins is the built-in FX that save CPU and also create more depth to the sound without having to use all four FX slots like I always have to do with Keygoups (Channel strip, Reverb, Delay, Stereo Width are essentials for me so any built in FX on plugins helps) Some of the best presets in Xpand are the Guitars, Ethnic Instruments and Band and Orchestra instruments that we are missing on the MPC. Hype is still pretty basic, and has limited Brass and Woodwinds. There's only one Guitar sample in the sampler. I just don't understand why AKAI would make the Touch UI for all those plugins for Controller mode and not allow us to use them in standalone. Such a Tease!

NearTao wrote:I believe the chip in the X/Live/One is a SOC.... thos would mean that the RAM is layered on top of the CPU, and nearly impossible to remove or replace with current tech...

It is possible that folks on facebook are just hacking at the linux kernel to let it use a swap drive... essentially using sd/usb/ssd as RAM... but I do not know that I would trust that as it would be untested and hard to predict how the MPC Software would respond in standalone mode.

That Soc you talk about is a Rockchip with Arm cpu, it has a 2gb and a 4gb version.
Akai only used the 2gb version until now.
So maybe there is a 4gb one ready for new products in the future.
Maybe.

Elpimpo wrote:As soon as someone cracks the code on upgrading internal Storage and replacing RAM on MPC X, Live, One, I think it may be possible.
If ya don't know, there's a MPC hacking group on Facebook, They go little too deep sometimes but have already figured out internal storage upgrades. Im in it for that sweet RAM upgrade, ill do that immediately.

Side note, I have a feeling AKAI will soon realize what we want and "refresh" the entire lineup with more RAM and storage.

Standalone all day!

The verdict’s out on internal storage: you can increase your internal storage. My MPC Live has 256GB of internal storage. It’s just a simple microSD card you have to swap out on the MPC Live (if you have it). I don’t have the MPC X, but I am sure that it’s the same thing.

Straker wrote:Maybe.

Yeah maybe... I'd imagine for a new product line 8gb is likely minimum, and if they want to keep pace in this space a faster processor is in order so they can add more polyphony, fx, audio tracks, etc...

We can dream at least.

NearTao wrote:

Straker wrote:Maybe.

Yeah maybe... I'd imagine for a new product line 8gb is likely minimum, and if they want to keep pace in this space a faster processor is in order so they can add more polyphony, fx, audio tracks, etc...

We can dream at least.

I agree with you.
8gb and a good cpu would make Mpc the real future of music for me.
But if you change Cpu, I think you also have to rewrite all the codes and that's not easy at all.
I guess that it will come one day, cpu and ram are less expensive and more performative year by year.
When and if Mpc will have 16gb and a good cpu, we might have a whole live set in just a project, any song a sequence or something like that.
We can dream at least.

NearTao wrote:I'd imagine for a new product line 8gb is likely minimum, and if they want to keep pace in this space a faster processor is in order so they can add more polyphony, fx, audio tracks, etc...

Which other stand-alone workstations are you comparing to?

I wonder if the Rockchip RK3288's GPU is utilized in the current MPC firmware/software version. According to the internet, the RK3288 should support OpenCL 1.1, and might be usable for something like convolution. Though this requires programming separately for the GPU, and creates a challenge of making the same processing available in the MPC Software. I guess.

Just speculation… but I doubt most people would upgrade to a new MPC line if the only upgrade is to 4gb of memory.

How would Akai handle the extra memory, do they split the market and allow expansion packs and projects that only work on the new line?

I totally get that it is possible, and given the chip shortages it could happen, but I think Akai likely needs a release that builds on their current success and gets their current user base to want to upgrade, because I do not think Akai can do much beyond the One/Live/X that has already been done to expand their iser base.

NearTao wrote:Just speculation… but I doubt most people would upgrade to a new MPC line if the only upgrade is to 4gb of memory.

How would Akai handle the extra memory, do they split the market and allow expansion packs and projects that only work on the new line?

I totally get that it is possible, and given the chip shortages it could happen, but I think Akai likely needs a release that builds on their current success and gets their current user base to want to upgrade, because I do not think Akai can do much beyond the One/Live/X that has already been done to expand their iser base.

Yeah at the end 4gb it would not change so much, especially if Akai makes disk streaming.
A more powerful cpu would make difference, more polyphony on synths, more complex plugins and effects.
But I really doubt it will come soon, while I think it will come in the future if Mpc keeps selling good next years and we will still be all alive.
Anyway Arm chip is good, I never have issue with it on standalone and Ram is still enough for me, I never run out of memory.

MPC-Tutor wrote:It's a pretty big plugin as it is sample-based, around 2GB of content, so I doubt Akai would want to incorporate it into the firmware like it has with the new plugin instruments. I think if Akai were to add some more internal synths (and that's a very big if IMO) you are more likely to see Hybrid 3, as that's a pure synth. I think it's only around 20MB, plus it's there in the software already, so it just makes sense to have the same internal plugins in both environments.

it always amazed me that the sound sets of old sound better then these modern multi gig vst workstations like hype or nexus.

how is it that the triton vst sounds are better then hype or nexus or any other vst workstation

jpeg wrote:

MPC-Tutor wrote:It's a pretty big plugin as it is sample-based, around 2GB of content, so I doubt Akai would want to incorporate it into the firmware like it has with the new plugin instruments. I think if Akai were to add some more internal synths (and that's a very big if IMO) you are more likely to see Hybrid 3, as that's a pure synth. I think it's only around 20MB, plus it's there in the software already, so it just makes sense to have the same internal plugins in both environments.

it always amazed me that the sound sets of old sound better then these modern multi gig vst workstations like hype or nexus.

how is it that the triton vst sounds are better then hype or nexus or any other vst workstation

I completely agree. Pharrell made countless hits with Korg Triton Sounds, Mannie Fresh and Jazze Pha with the Roland Fantom X. I've been using Xpand for over 15 years and I still find some of the patches more refreshing than the Keygroups in the most recent Expansion packs. I just want more options for Guitars, Electric Basses, and Ethnic Instruments. Xpands Built in FX and split/layer capabilities are great also!